Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 3521.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to House Joint Resolution 2, the ``Balanced Budget'' Constitutional Amendment. This misguided proposal would harm our economic recovery by destroying jobs, cutting Medicare and Social Security, and increasing the likelihood that the United States will default on its debt.

With the nation struggling to recover from the economic crisis, the American people want Congress to focus on addressing the root causes of our country's economic hardships, not passing pointless message pieces to satisfy the Republican base that fail to get Americans back to work.

In fact, if we amend our Constitution in the way that H.J. Res. 2 proposes, it will wreak havoc on our economy. If enacted in Fiscal Year 2012, this Balanced Budget Amendment would cost 15 million people their jobs, double our unemployment rate to 18%, and cause our economy to shrink by 17%. As Bruce Bartlett, former advisor to President Ronald Reagan, correctly points out, rapidly cutting spending to balance our budget would throw our country into a recession.

This Balanced Budget Amendment would harm our middle class, seniors, and veterans at a time when they are most vulnerable. This amendment could force Congress to cut all programs by 17% by 2018. Furthermore, it would cut Social Security by $1.2 trillion, Medicare by $750 billion, and veterans' benefits by $85 billion through 2021.

Proponents are suggesting this is a simple balanced budget amendment, but it is not. Instead, H.J. Res. 2 would enshrine in our Constitution a requirement that Congress would need a three-fifths supermajority vote to raise the debt ceiling. This would make permanent the dysfunction we witnessed this summer, which created chaos in our financial markets and nearly unleashed a catastrophic default, and raise the likelihood that our country would default on its debts.

Madam Speaker, this Constitutional Amendment is not only bad for our country, but it is entirely unnecessary. If we want to balance our budget, we should instead allow the Bush Tax Cuts sunset, and bring our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to an end. This would cut $5 trillion in spending and leave our country on sounder financial footing without harming our economic growth and our most vulnerable citizens.

This Balanced Budget Amendment would put the federal government under far tighter constraints than States and families operate under every day, and it would open the door to federal courts making the budget decisions that should be made by our elected officials. Our nation needs real legislation that will create jobs and stimulate growth, not a Constitutional Amendment that will cut jobs, kill growth, all in the name of balancing the budget. Our budget problems can instead be resolved in a responsible manner, but this amendment is not it. I urge my colleagues to reject H.J. Res. 2.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to articulate a vision for American education and a platform for developing a strong competitive workforce. Today I am introducing the STEM Education Innovation Act, which does exactly this by raising the profile of state and federal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics initiatives.

By promoting and highlighting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, we will enable America to regain its

competitive edge in the global economy. This is essential so that the youth of America can once again be competitive with their international peers and attain satisfying, well-paying jobs. It is essential so that American ``Job Creators'' will be able to find future employees with the right skill sets to meet their needs right here at home.

My legislation will establish an Office of STEM Education at the Department of Education, through which we will be making a national and international statement that the STEM fields are a national priority. This office can speak with articulation on why we must compete at the highest level on international benchmark tests such as the PISA, NAEP and TIMMS tests.

By providing federal support for State Consortia on STEM Education, my bill helps States exercise their power to create, maintain, and grow their STEM platform. The bill acknowledges existing public-private collaborations and will grow such efforts in the STEM community. These state consortia are already springing up at the grassroots level. Through a federal matching grant, we will be reaffirming our Nation's priorities while allowing States to dictate and control their educational agenda by identifying best practices and implementing state standards.

Finally, my legislation will boost American ingenuity and innovation by promoting the development of transformational technology for the classroom through the Education Innovation Project. Through a small federal dollar investment, small startup companies and the private market will deliver a huge return on educational technological innovation.

Mr. Speaker, it is the aspiration of ALL Americans--rich and poor, rural and urban, public school and private school, Republican and Democrat--to realize the American dream for their children. The STEM Education Innovation Act builds up the platform of local educational communities all throughout the United States to collaborate and consolidate a solid educational platform holding up the pillars of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). By supporting STEM efforts in American public schools, we are investing in the future of American youth. We are also investing in American ingenuity, innovation, and infrastructure: ensuring an educated population to carry us forward into the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1280, the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011. This bill is named after a brave young woman who was murdered while volunteering with the Peace Corps in Benin in 2009. S. 1280 is a vital component in the effort to protect Peace Corps volunteers who are dedicated to public service, like Kate Puzey, from unnecessary and senseless violence.

In the two years since Kate's death, much attention has been focused on concerns about the safety of Peace Corps volunteers, and I applaud the Peace Corps for instituting essential improvements to their Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program in the wake of this tragedy. To implement further protections, S. 1280 will expand the Peace Corps' safety precautions in several concrete, practical ways.

S. 1280 will ensure that all applicants are provided with a historical analysis of crimes and risks in their prospective countries of service, will provide further protection for female volunteers who are particularly vulnerable while living in foreign countries, and will institute sexual run assault risk-reduction and response training and country-specific means of seeking care. It contains provisions that will protect the anonymity of volunteers who report sexual assault and allows them to report cases to the Inspector General. It will also increase government accountability in responding to sexual assault through a Sexual Assault Advisory Council, a committee of past volunteers and experts who will ensure the Peace Corps is executing best practices.

As a returned Peace Corps volunteer who served in El Salvador, I have personally witnessed the ways in which the Peace Corps provides opportunities for personal and professional development for young Americans. During my time as a volunteer, I was transformed from a young college graduate with little direction into a confident public servant with a passion for eradicating poverty. The pride one feels in being an ambassador for their country is immeasurable, and I will always keep the lessons I learned in the Peace Corps close to my heart. For these reasons, I continue to advocate for the expansion of the Peace Corps into double the number of countries in which it currently operates. After all, for the cost of sending one soldier to Afghanistan, we could send thirteen Peace Corps Volunteers to serve their country in the name of peace.

While my experience in the Peace Corps exposed me to myriad positive opportunities, I am aware that some volunteers have served in dangerous or threatening situations. By implementing strong safety standards and a firm protocol for handling sexual assault and harassment, women in the Peace Corps will no longer be subjected to intimidation and exposed to danger. This will enable even more volunteers to take advantage of the same opportunities for growth I did. I urge my colleagues to pass the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act so we can continue to provide a positive and fulfilling experience for all Peace Corps volunteers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the joyous Festival of Diwali. Diwali directly translates from Hindi, into ``Row of Lights.'' From this translation, Diwali has come to be known as ``The Festival of Lights.'' Celebrations of Diwali involve the lighting of lamps to symbolize hope and joy. Other common practices include lighting fireworks and distributing sweets and gifts. The lighting of lamps is meant to symbolize the victory of good and the removal of darkness, or evil. The spiritual darkness is said to be ``vanquished'' by the many lights, bringing happiness and bliss to the people of this Earth.

This cultural and religious festival is celebrated by nearly 1 billion Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists in more than 20 countries. In the United States, some 2 million people observe Diwali, including many in the multi-cultural congressional district that I am proud to represent.

Diwali is one of the most important holidays within Hinduism. In the Hindu faith, Diwali is linked to Rama's triumphant return following his victory over Ravana as told in the epic ``The Ramayana.'' Following Rama's victory, his people lit clay lamps along the capital city as to celebrate the returning of their King. These clay lamps were called Deepavalis, which Diwali is a shortened version of. In many Hindu calendars, Diwali corresponds with the start of a new year, correlating with the ideas of rebirth and renewal.

In Jainism, Diwali marks the date upon which Lord Mahavira achieved the state of absolute bliss or Nirvana. It is said that King Chetaka, upon Lord Mahavira achieving Nirvana, lit a multitude of lamps in order to create a material light to replace the light of intelligence that had been lost.

In the Sikh tradition, the foundation of the Golden Temple is said to have been laid on Diwali. In this tradition, the 6th Sikh guru Hargobind was released from prison on the festival of Diwali. Hundreds of lamps were lit in honor of Hargobind's return.

Mr. Speaker, there is great diversity among the faiths that celebrate this joyful holiday. Across all of these traditions, Diwali holds significance in the South-Asian community as a time of hope, happiness and the renewal of life. For this reason, I am proud to be a cosponsor of House Resolution 439, recognizing the historical and religious importance of Diwali. I would like to join with all those celebrating this joyous time and wish Shubh Diwali to all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor veterans from America's greatest generation and thank the Government of Japan for recognizing the sacrifices of these men. On Saturday, October 15, seven former members of the U.S. Army and Army Air Corps, who fought in the Battle for the Philippines at the start of World War II, from December 1941 to May 1942, will travel to Tokyo as guests of the Japanese government. These brave soldiers and airmen were all prisoners of war of Imperial Japan.

The conditions in which they were held are unimaginable. Their first trip to Japan was on aging freighters called ``Hellships,'' where the men were loaded into suffocating holds with little space, water, food, or sanitation. At the

POW camps in the Philippines, Japan and China, they suffered unmerciful abuse aggravated by the lack of food, medical care, clothing, and appropriate housing. Each POW also became a slave laborer at the mines, factories, smelters, and docks of Japan's largest companies, including Mitsui, Nippon Steel, Showa Denko, Mitsubishi, and Japan Metals & Chemicals Company. In the end, nearly 40% of the American POWs of Japan perished; compared to the two percent of those in Nazi Germany's POW camps.

The men traveling to Japan this weekend include five residents of California, one from Arizona and one from Missouri. There are two survivors of the infamous Bataan Death March and four who were captured during the surrender of Corregidor. Furthermore, two of the veterans believe that they were subject to medical experimentation.

In September 2010, the Japanese government delivered to the first American POW delegation an official apology for the damage and suffering these men endured. Although the Japanese government had hosted POWs from U.S. wartime Allies, this was the first trip to Japan for American POWs. It was also the first official apology to any prisoners of war held by Japan.

I know that the American POWs fought hard for this recognition. I appreciate the courage of the Japanese government for their historic and meaningful apology. I thank the POWs for their persistent pursuit of justice, and commend the U.S. State Department for helping them. Now, it is time for the many Japanese companies that used POWs for slave labor during World War II to follow the example of their government by offering an apology and supporting programs for lasting remembrance and reconciliation. Furthermore, I invite my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in a making a small, but significant, gesture to show these men that Congress has not forgotten their experience and sacrifice by cosponsoring House Resolution 333, which I introduced earlier this year.

I wish these men a fulfilling trip to Japan, and I hope that their trip contributes to securing the historic peace between the U.S. and our important ally Japan.

Second U.S. POW Delegation to Japan, October 15-23, 2011

Harold A. Bergbower, 91, lives in Peoria, Arizona. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1939 and was part of V Bomber Command, 19th Bomb Group, 28th Bombardment Squadron, Far East Air Force. He was at Clarke Field when Japan attacked on December 8, 1941. He was knocked out in the bombardment and when he awoke he found himself in the morgue at Fort Stotsenburg. Bergbower crawled out and went back to his squadron to fight in the Battle of Bataan. By escaping to Mindanao after surrender, he avoided the Bataan Death March and was captured in May. On the Philippines, he was imprisoned at Malaybalay on Mindanao and the Davao Penal Colony. In August 1944, he survived the sinking of several Hellships only to end up on Mitsubishi's Noto Marti; a trip he has completely blocked out. He was a slave laborer scooping iron ore into an open hearth furnace at the Nagoya-6B-Nomachi (Takaoka) camp for the Hokkai Denka Company which was involved in ferro-alloy smelting. Today, the site remains in ferro-alloy business as Takaoka Works. It is, as was Hokkai Denka, still part of Japan Metals & Chemicals Co., Ltd (JMC, Nihon Jukagaku Kogyo). Bergbower stayed in the U.S. Air Force and returned to Japan (1954-1957) to train Japan's Air Self-Defense Force. He and his family lived near air bases in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture and in Fukuoka (Itazuke), Fukuoka Prefecture. After retiring in 1969, he became a golf pro for Dell Webb's Sun City, Arizona. He is a past Commander of the American Defenders (2005-6) and helped to establish its Descendant's Group. POW#89

James C. Collier, 88, lives in Salinas, California. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1940 at the age of 16. As a member of U.S. Army 59th Coast Artillery, Battery D ``Cheney'' he was captured on Corregidor. Before being shipped from the Philippines to Japan on Mitsubishi's Noto Maru in August 1944, he was held in Cabanatuan and Clark Field. Collier was a slave laborer feeding iron ore into the open hearth furnace at the Nagoya-6B-Nomachi (Takaoka) camp for the Hokkai Denka Company, which was involved in ferro-alloy smelting. Today, the site remains in ferroalloy business as Takaoka Works. It is, as was Hokkai Denka, still part of Japan Metals & Chemicals Co., Ltd (JMC, Nihon Jukagaku Kogyo). After WWII, he earned two master's degrees: one in the Teaching of English from San Jose State and another in School Counseling from the University of Oregon, Eugene. He taught English and Psychology and worked as a guidance counselor in a high school and community college for 31 years. POW#130

Harry Corre, 88, lives in Los Angeles, California. He joined the U.S. Army in 1941 and was sent to the Philippines as part of the 59th Coast Artillery Regiment, Battery C ``Wheeler.'' He was captured by the Japanese with the surrender of Bataan on April 9, 1942 and began the infamous Bataan Death March. He escaped by swimming, with the assistance of a hastily improvised floatation device, the three-and-a- half miles to Corregidor, where he rejoined his unit. Corre was surrendered on Corregidor and imprisoned at Cabanatuan #1 and #3. He was shipped to Japan in July 1943 on Mitsubishi's Clyde Maru to mine coal at Omuta Fukuoka #17 Branch POW Camp for Mitsui Mining (now Mitsui's Nippon Coke & Engineering Company Co., Ltd.). After the war he worked odd jobs for several years and then moved to California to work in the aerospace industry. He returned to school in 1971 and graduated from Western Electronic Institute in Los Angeles as an electronics engineer. He worked in the aerospace industry for 40 years with his last position at TRW. Corre presently works at the Los Angeles, California Veterans Administration Hospital as a Patient Advocate and as a Veterans Service Officer for the American Ex-Prisoners of War as well as a POW Coordinator for the Veterans Administration Hospital & West Los Angeles Veterans Administration Regional Office. POW# 283

Roy Edward Friese, 88, lives in Calimesa, California. He joined the U.S. Army in 1941 and became a member of the 60th Coast Artillery Regiment Battery E ``Erie.'' He arrived in the Philippines in April 1941 for basic training. He was assigned to a searchlight battery on the tip of Bataan and then evacuated to Corregidor when Bataan fell April 9, 1942. He was imprisoned on the Philippines in Bilibid and Cabanatuan. Friese was shipped to Japan in July 1943 on Mitsubishi's Clyde Maru to mine coal at Omuta Fukuoka #17 Branch POW Camp for Mitsui Mining (now Mitsui's Nippon Coke & Engineering Company). After WWII, he reenlisted in the U.S. Army and in 1947 transferred to the U.S. Air Force. He retired after 20 years of service. In civilian life he was employed doing various types of electronics work. In 1975, Friese established his own company installing & repairing micrographic equipment. In retirement he pursues hobbies of travel, photography, woodworking, and collecting antique clocks. POW#173

Ralph E. Griffith, 88, lives in Hannibal, Missouri. He enlisted in the army in 1941 at the age of 17 and received his basic training on Corregidor, the Philippines. He was captured on Corregidor in May 1942 with his unit, the U.S. Army 60th Coast Artillery Regiment Battery F ``Flint.'' On the Philippines he was a POW in Bilibid and Cabanatuan. He was shipped to Mukden, China (today's Shenyang) in October 1942 on Mitsubishi's Tottori Maru via Korea to Manchuria. Griffith was a slave laborer at MKK (Manshu Kosaku Kikai, which some researchers believe was owned by Mitsubishi and known as Manchuria Mitsubishi Machine Tool Company, Ltd.) factory working as a planer operator. He believes that the multiple shots and blood tests that he received while at Mukden were part of human medical experiments conducted by the Imperial Army's 731st Biological Warfare Unit. At liberation, he walked out the main gate of the POW camp and was immediately taken by the hand by a little Chinese girl. She brought him to her home where her family had prepared a meal for him. This family fed and cared for him until he was repatriated. Ever since, whenever he sees a Chinese family dining at a restaurant he quietly pays their bill. After the war, he went to work for railways both in Missouri and Alaska. Not liking the cold weather, he went to work for the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway in northern Indiana. After 37 years, he retired from the Railway and returned to his hometown of Hannibal, Missouri where he was born and raised.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great American innovator and entrepreneur, Mr. Takayoshi Oshima. On the occasion of his 70th birthday, which he celebrated last month, I would like to take this opportunity to herald Mr. Oshima's many achievements in the field of business and technology--achievements that have helped establish Silicon Valley, which I am proud to represent, as the international center of IT research and development.

Born in Tochigi, Japan on September 17, 1941, Mr. Oshima moved to the United States with the support of generous benefactors to pursue an engineering degree at the University of Florida. He began his studies with little English fluency, but he studied hard and excelled academically, demonstrating early the high standards to which he has held himself throughout his life. Upon graduating, he was recruited by ITT to work in Puerto Rico. Restless for new challenges and opportunities, Mr. Oshima returned to Florida to study business after which he joined the esteemed ranks of the technology industry's earliest and most promising pioneers. He worked for the legendary Fairchild Semiconductor company, where he and his colleagues like Dr. Robert Noyce, Dr. Gordon Moore, and Dr. Andy Grove helped start what today has become Silicon Valley. He would later take on senior technical, marketing, and managerial roles at Advanced Micro Devices and Ungermann-Bass.

Taki currently serves as Chairman and CEO of Allied Telesis Holdings KK which he founded in San Jose, CA in 1987. Internationally recognized for developing sophisticated data networks used in high performance and high reliability applications, Allied Telesis today employs over 2,400 people in 23 countries around the world. At 70, he remains committed to leading a company on the cutting edge of technological innovation. He is personally motivated to address some of our nation's most pressing challenges: improving health care, homeland security, and transportation through more advanced technologies.

Mr. Oshima has not only distinguished himself in engineering and business; he is also a respected leader in the San Francisco Bay Area's Japanese American community. He is a committed family man--a proud father to two daughters and one son and a doting grandfather to four grandsons.

As a fellow Californian, as a Japanese American, and as a friend, I am proud today to pay tribute to Mr. Oshima for his contributions to America's technological advancement and economic growth. Although his modesty would seek to convince you otherwise, Mr. Oshima is among Silicon Valley's most successful and transformative entrepreneurs.

Mr. Speaker, I thank and applaud Mr. Takayoshi Oshima for his outstanding achievements and his passion to discover and foster untapped potential in every frontier. He is a true American pioneer.

Mr. Speaker, on September 23, I was unavoidably detained in a meeting with the President of the United States, and so I was not present several of the rollcall votes on amendments to H.R. 2401 held that day. Had I been present I would have voted:

``Aye'' on rollcall 728, the Welch Amendment to add the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the interagency committee that the bill would create, and to direct that committee to look at important health impacts on the most vulnerable populations (such as children and the elderly) that would be affected by EPA's proposed rules.

``Aye'' on rollcall 729, the McNerney Amendment to direct the interagency committee to examine the effect on clean energy jobs and clean energy companies, including those that export clean energy technology, to the items to be considered in the analyses required by the bill.

``Aye'' on rollcall 730, the Moore Amendment to ensure that the interagency committee will analyze the impact a rule or action could have on low-income communities and public health.

``Aye'' on rollcall 731, the Capps Amendment to require the interagency committee to include in its analyses an estimate of the incidence of birth and developmental defects and infant mortality that would result from a delay to covered rules and covered actions under the bill.

``No'' on rollcall 732, the Kinzinger Amendment, which seeks to add regulations that have not even been proposed to the list to be analyzed by the interagency committee.

``No'' on rollcall 733, the Dent Amendment, which would further undermine environmental protections by adding EPA's National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants from the Portland Cement Manufacturing Industry and Standards of Performance for Portland Cement Plants to the rules the must be examined by the interagency committee created by the bill.

``Aye'' on rollcall 734, the Hastings (FL) Amendment to exclude from the interagency committee's review all rules and regulations that already undergo a cost-benefit analysis.

``Aye'' on rollcall 735, Connolly Amendment No. 8 to require the interagency committee to study policies which will lead to creation of American jobs in the pollution control and clean energy sector.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my concerns about the current reconciliation efforts in Sri Lanka and my hope for a lasting peace for all of its people. This past May marked the second anniversary of the end to the Sri Lankan civil war between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, LTTE, and the government forces. This tragic war lasted a quarter century and undoubtedly weighed heavily on all Sri Lankans, including an entire generation of young adults that has only known war until two years ago. Peace was achieved, but for how long?

In order to help achieve a lasting peace, the burdens of the civil war must be lifted and the root causes of the conflict must be addressed. For these reasons, I commend the government of Sri Lanka for making commitments to address the needs of all ethnic groups. It has also recognized that a political settlement and reconciliation among all ethnic groups is necessary for any chance of a peaceful and just society. The Sri Lankan government's inquiry, Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, LLRC, was created as a primary mechanism for the reconciliation process as it investigates allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by both opposing forces during the civil war. The LLRC will not succeed, however, if it fails to gain the trust of the people for which it is trying to provide justice. Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have criticized the LLRC for failing to provide any accountability for atrocities that are alleged to have taken place. Further, the recently released United Nations' ``Report of the Secretary-General's Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka'' determined that the allegations are credible and recommends an independent international mechanism to investigate these allegations and provide accountability.

I have faith in the government of Sri Lanka to provide for the peaceful well-being of all its people. To achieve this noble goal, however, the Sri Lankan people must also have faith in their government and fellow citizens. Too many questions remain unanswered. Too many suspicions can reseed conflict. I appeal to the government of Sri Lanka to follow its commitments to addressing the needs of all ethnic groups and embrace the recommendations of the U.N. report. Only a trusted accountability mechanism will relieve the tensions of distrust hardened by war and lay a clean foundation for sustainable peace for Sri Lanka and all its people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the historic, official repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Today, nearly two decades after its enactment, our lesbian, gay, and bisexual servicemembers can finally serve and defend the country they love without the fear of being discharged. Never

again will members of our military be forced to serve in the shadows, to lie about their identities, or to be afraid to talk about the people they love.

Let us remember the 14,000 loyal servicemembers who were discharged under this discriminatory policy over the years; for now they can serve alongside their military friends and family with dignity and honor. Let us also remember those individuals who served in silence and sacrificed their lives so that we, as Americans, could live freely.

As vice-chair of the LGBT Caucus in Congress, I see the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell as another step towards ensuring that all citizens, both inside and outside of the military, are never subject to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Today signifies a crucial milestone in history and is a victory, not just for the LGBTQ community, but for America as a whole.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to return to Washington, DC last week, and so I was not present for rollcall votes held on September 7th, 8th, and 9th.

Had I been present I would have voted:

``Yea'' on Rollcall No. 692, on H. Con. Res. 67, authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run.

``No'' on Rollcall No. 693, on Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 392, the Rule providing for consideration of both H.R. 2218 and H.R. 1892, in order to allow Mr. Garamendi of California to offer his amendment to the Rule to give priority to eligible entities that plan to use materials made in America for the construction and renovation of school facilities.

``No'' on Rollcall No. 694, on H. Res. 392, the rule providing for consideration of both H.R. 2218--Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act and H.R. 1892--Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012.

``Yes'' on Rollcall No. 695, on the Hunter amendment to H.R. 1892, which would require the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense to establish a coordinated strategy to identify and counter network activity and operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan relating to the development and use of improvised explosive devices.

``Yes'' on Rollcall No. 696, on the Carney amendment to H.R. 1892, which would express the sense of Congress that railway transportation security has been and must continue to be a priority of the intelligence community in infrastructure threat assessment.

``Yes'' on Rollcall No. 697, the motion to recommit H.R. 1892, which would place priority on funding activities that counter the threat posed by transnational drug trafficking and the protection of U.S. borders from drug-related crime, violence and gang-related activity in connection with transnational drug trafficking.

``Yes'' on Rollcall No. 698, final passage of H.R. 1892, although I share the concern expressed by a number of my colleagues about the CIA's role in Libya.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Smart Electronics Act.

The Smart Electronics Act is an effort to reduce the amount of energy consumed by consumer electronic devices. Electronic gadgets already account for about 15 percent of household electricity consumption, and as these gadgets proliferate, their energy use continues to grow.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that by 2030, new electronic gadgets will triple their energy consumption to 1,700 terawatt hours, the equivalent of the home electricity consumption of the U.S. and Japan combined. According to the IEA, the international community will have to build over 15,000 wind turbines (or 200 nuclear power plants) to power all the TVs, iPods, PCs and other home electronics expected to be

plugged in by 2030. The electric bill to power all household electronics will top $200 billion a year, compared with last year's bill of $80 billion. Most of this increase in consumer electronics will occur in developing countries, where economic growth is outpacing developed nations and ownership rates of gadgets are lowest.

If the devices are not made more energy efficient, their proliferation will undermine efforts to increase energy security and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. The answer to this problem will not be found in stemming the tide of electronic gadget envy, because there is no way we will be able to do that. Instead, we must encourage the development of better devices that are built more efficiently and run on less energy.

Programs like Energy Star have already started improving our electronically dependent world. Last year as a result of Energy Star, Americans saved $6,000,000,000 while also saving enough energy to power over 10,000,000 homes. However, the Energy Star program as it is currently structured cannot solve the problem due to the limited number of devices it covers.

To address this, I am reintroducing the Smart Electronics Act. The bill would require the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to report to Congress within a year on several key areas to ensure we achieve the clarity needed for industry to thrive. First, the DOE and EPA must assess the potential for energy efficient electronics to receive an Energy Star designation, and the potential savings accrued (e.g. cost, energy) through a specific program focused on smart electronics. Second, they must assess the global growth of electronics usage and utilization and the associated energy consumption. Lastly, the bill calls for the DOE and EPA to standardize a process for defining, categorizing, and ranking technologies as ``smart.'' If it is deemed appropriate, a smart electronics emphasis and a Smart Electronics Registry would be incorporated into the Energy Star program.

The bill defines smart electronics as devices that cooperate with the electrical grid to cut down on energy consumption. This minimization can be achieved through power-factor correction, utilizing stand-by modes, communication and monitoring with the smart grid, taking advantage of off-peak charging and operation, on-demand and variable processing speed semiconductors, or switching to a lower power mode.

Importantly, this legislation will help us green the electronics industry by providing the private sector with reliable standards and incentives and by educating and empowering consumers to make smarter and more efficient choices--all of which help cool the planet.

I look forward to working with Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Waxman on moving this bill through their committee and the House.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Nanotechnology Advancement and New Opportunities (NANO) Act.

The NANO Act is a comprehensive bill to promote the development and responsible stewardship of nanotechnology in the United States. The legislation draws upon the work of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Nanotechnology that I convened. The Blue Ribbon Task Force included nanotechnology experts with

backgrounds in established industry, startup companies, consulting groups, non-profits, academia, government, medical research, and venture capital from around my home State of California, which is a leader in the field of nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology has the potential to create entirely new industries and radically transform the basis of competition in other fields, and I am proud of my work with former Science Committee Chairman Sherry Boehlert on the Nanotechnology Research and Development Act of 2003 to foster research in this area.

But one of the things I have heard from experts in the field is that while the United States is a leader in nanotechnology research, our foreign competitors are focusing more resources and effort on the commercialization of those research results than we are.

In its report Thinking Big About Thinking Small, which can be found on my website, the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Nanotechnology made a series of recommendations for ways that the Nation can promote the development and commercialization of nanotechnology. The NANO Act includes a number of these recommendations.

In addition, the bill addresses concerns that have been raised about whether the Federal Government is doing enough to address potential health and safety risks associated with nanotechnology. The NANO Act requires the development of a nanotechnology research strategy that establishes research priorities for the Federal Government and industry that will ensure the development and responsible stewardship of nanotechnology. This strategy will help to resolve the uncertainty that is one of the major obstacles to the commercialization of nanotechnology--uncertainty about what the risks might be and uncertainty about how the Federal Government might regulate nanotechnology in the future.

The NANO Act also includes a number of provisions to create partnerships, raise awareness, and implement strategic policies to resolve obstacles and promote nanotechnology. It will: create a public- private investment partnership to address the nanotechnology commercialization gap; establish a tax credit for investment in nanotechnology firms; authorize a grant program to support the establishment and development of nanotechnology incubators; establish a Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center for ``nano-CAD'' tools; establish grant programs for nanotechnology research to address specific challenges in the areas of energy, environment, homeland security, and health; establish a tax credit for nanotechnology education and training program expenses; establish a grant program to support the development of curriculum materials for interdisciplinary nanotechnology courses at higher education institutions; direct NSF to establish a program to encourage manufacturing companies to enter into partnerships with occupational training centers for the development of training to support nanotechnology manufacturing; and call for the development of a strategy for increasing interaction on nanotechnology interests between DOE national labs and the informal science education community.

I look forward to working with Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairman Hall and Ranking Member Johnson on this bill and their committee's other efforts to reauthorize the Nation's nanotechnology research and development program.

Mr. Speaker, despite the bill's colorful title, the Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act (H.R. 2587) is a blatant attempt to declaw the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and weaken the rights of American workers. Created in 1935 by the enactment of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the NLRB oversees the process by which employees form unions and enforces fair labor provisions against violations committed by private sector employers and unions. H.R. 2587 would strip the NLRB's ability to punish businesses for unlawfully relocating or dissolving jobs in retaliation for union organization, and thus eliminate the NLRB's only meaningful enforcement tool to protect working Americans under the National Labor Relations Act.

H.R. 2587 was authored by Representative Tim Scott of South Carolina to prevent the NLRB's ongoing case against the Boeing Company for allegedly violating federal labor laws by opening a non-union passenger plane production facility in South Carolina, rather than in the state of Washington, from moving forward. According to the NLRB, it has evidence that Boeing intentionally moved its facilities to a non-union state in retaliation against unionized workers in Washington. By law, employers may move their facilities to non-union states, but it is illegal for employers to retaliate against employees for exercising their federally-protected right to strike. Whether or not Boeing's actions were illegal is a matter to be decided, but not by politicians.

While millions of Americans are struggling to find employment, the Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act would neither create nor protect jobs as the title claims. On the contrary, H.R. 2587 would weaken American workers' rights and reduce the number of U.S. jobs by legalizing company reprisals against unions through the dissolution or transfer of jobs to non-union sites elsewhere in the United States and, even more worrisome, somewhere overseas.

As a stalwart advocate for American workers, I cannot support efforts that would take away an important tool in helping to ensure that employers do not violate the law by retaliating against unionized employees. Our nation is stronger when workers join together and bargain for a better life, and when employers respect those rights. To that end, I have long supported efforts in Congress to protect and strengthen the right of American workers in every industry to collective bargaining. While I imagine the dispute between the NLRB and the Boeing Company will be worked out, in the meantime, Congress should not interfere with important legal protections for union workers that are already in place. For these reasons, I am strongly opposed to H.R. 2587.

Madam Chair, to answer the question about whether it's a new program, it isn't. It was defunded back in '96.

Since 2008, through GAO, we have been trying to fund it through their end and build it up since then, but still a lot of folks didn't understand that this body really does need the kind of technological development in the public and private sector and harness outside experiences in the form of advisory panels and peer review, something that GAO and CRS cannot do, and we can do it through this program.